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THE Sunshine Coast Council has stuck by its position that it cannot legally seize the dog blamed for a recent attack on a six-year-old boy at Buddina.

Section 125 of the Animal Management Act gives a council the power in some circumstances to seize a dog suspected of being involved in an attack.

However, the council's response services manager, Ron Thomas, said the council had no legal right to take the dog that mauled Lochlan Johns on December 18.

Mr Thomas said the council could seek to have the dog declared dangerous once it had completed its investigation into the attack, which left little Lochlan in hospital with facial cuts and stitches to his head on December 18.

He said the council could then only seize the dog if the owners breached the conditions of the declaration, which required it to be kept behind a dog-proof fence, and on a leash and muzzled if out in public.

The dog could also be seized if the owners breached the conditions of an interim dangerous dog order issued while the investigation was under way, he said.

"There is nothing more that the council can do. Our obligation to the community is to make sure that the dog is not in a position to be a risk to the public and we believe we've got that in place," Mr Thomas said.

The attack has ignited public debate on the rules for exercising dogs on the Sunshine Coast.

Many of the Daily's online readers expressed anger and concern that dogs were being allowed to roam free in on-leash areas.

One reader moved from Buddina because of the number of unrestrained dogs on the beach.

Another said they avoided taking their toddler to the beach for the same reason.

Sixty per cent of respondents in an online poll supported fines for dog owners who let their pets roam when they should be on leads.

Some took an even stronger view - 15% believed the owner should have to perform community service, such as picking up dog faeces from local parks, and 8% believed the dogs should be taken from the owners.

Six per cent did not have a problem with dogs off-lead and 7% said a verbal warning would be enough.